Sasuke's shadow
by ninehundredtwo
Summary: A girl named Chakra has to make two important decisions, which direction will she go?
1. Chapter 1

Another damn morning. Why had that baka sensei given me the assignment to shadow someone? He knew I had been getting stronger, was this his way of punishing me? I sighed. Probably not... My muscles hurt from the training I had received the day before, sensei was ruthless. In a way, he was probably trying to make me strong enough to fend for myself long after he was gone. My right arm was sore from the single push-ups he had made me do, but it was not like me to complain about anything. I was on a mission.

I called the sensei, it's out of character for him to be sleeping at this hour. I heard his footsteps outside my tent...'Chakra, no breakfast': I nodded 'you will not speak to anyone, become the shadow you're destined to be' I threw a kunai in the ground and got into a tree. He seemed so small from up here.. The feeling of having the branch to sit on and the smell of leaves calmed my senses. They should be arriving soon. I showed him three fingers, thumb, point, middle. He grinned, 'Go...my trusted one' 

I waited and waited. Could it be they switched up his route? I tried to keep my breath under control. Of course not, maybe he just overslept himself, he was only human, after all. I can't deny I was still sleepy and the sensei just told me to shadow him. I yawned and then I heard voices. One of them was obviously awake. I tried to shove closer to the tree. 'and after school we'll have ramen and..'  
>they were coming closer I had to shove closer to the center of the tree, the leaves providing shelter. My curiosity took over, why were there two pair extra footsteps? Who where those people?<p>

They were almost underneath the tree, if only I had orders i'd... A girl? I felt my mouth opening itself. Wanted to scream, badly. I barely could hold myself back. What was he doing with a girl? The answers were easy...  
>But wait, someone tried to catch up with them. The voice I heard earlier. 'Hey guys wait up' the girl with the pink hair turned around 'if only you would have stopped thinking about ramen you wouldn't have gotten back this far' she snapped. Big mouth little brain I couldn't help but think. I jumped over to the next tree since I was getting back myself. Just five more trees before my job is done.<br>If that guy in the back would have been at my side we might have been friends. I mean, what is threatening about a ninja in an orange jump suit? And the one I was shadowing...maybe even more...

My eyelids were getting heavy again. If I yawned now I would get caught. Someone else was observing them too. Or were they observing me? I wiped the sweat from my forehead. Ok let's focus, next tree. The person behind me followed like a hot breath in my neck.

My hand felt sweaty. They were waiting for me to make a mistake. My hand slipped and if someone wouldn't have grabbed me my feet would have betrayed my position. When I turned around to thank the one who saved me... 


	2. Chapter 2

This must have been a mistake! Images of Konoha started to plague me; this couldn't be...  
>The first sensei I ever had was sitting in front of me. He ran his hand through his now- white hair. The jounin suit he was wearing suited him well, he did not possess anything of this caliber after I left. A lot must've gone on after I took my leave. I looked at his face, now filled with hatred, instead of the love he had for one of his ex-students. But who could blame him, this time, I was the enemy.<p>

'I-' I used kage bunshin and got away, but that's just because he allowed me to. I tried to focus on the mission again but I had been so distracted by my fall so I hadn't heard that the footsteps had stopped. He must've signaled them without saying something. The worst part was that I wanted to apologize, these were obviously his new pets. 

I had been trapped. But Orochimaru-sensei was out of reach for me at the moment. The girl looked at me, I hadn't realized her look could be so piercing. Oh great; I thought My first solo mission and I get to screw up. Her eyes burned through mine, I could nearly feel the jealousy she had because I had been watching one of them. A kunai almost had hit me, my left arm was bleeding but at the moment I couldn't care less about what happened to my body. All I could see were my memories

_iA little girl was walking with a fourteen-year old version of sensei. They were watching the fireworks. She could hardly see the sparks so the sensei lifted her up and put her on his shoulders./i_

Unwillingly I sighed. I had reached the tent without getting any other injuries, the odd thing was that they hadn't followed me. I lie down in the grass, thinking about the best memory I ever had. 

_iI had just turned six and it was hot as usual. I wore my little pink dress and had my usual black ribbon tied tightly in my hair. Sensei and I were watching the sunset from the top of the gate. It seemed so peaceful. Then he disappeared and I could feel the fear. He'd leave me for good? I thought to myself. Just when I turned around he was there, with an ice-cream./i_

I grinned..those were good times. When Orochi-sensei finds out I screwed up he'll punish me. I got to do something. I went out into the woods to get some firewood. Something I always do after I did my mission, and besides Orochimaru didn't cook very good meals. By the time I had finished I heard the bell. Time for the academy... But first I bandaged my arm, it had had enough time to dry.  
>On my way to my post things kept on bothering me..Why did I let my emotions take over? Everything had to be blocked out. Orochimaru-sensei told me not to go inside the village. Too many risks, he said. But after today I couldn't care less. There was no harm in visiting my own hometown, right?<p> 


	3. Chapter 3 : Finally we meet

I sat on the gate and watched how he walked past. I looked at how he had his bag casually swung over his shoulder, as other villagers greeted him as he walked on by. People even went outside stores just to say hi to him, or to ask 'How are you doing Sasuke-kun?' On the surface, it really annoyed me. I mean.. in my old village, no one acted like they were one big family, people lived past each other.

Maybe this is why we got wiped out during the first ninja war, we were no unit. Even though we used to have a lot of strong fighters, our strategies failed when one of them got taken out during a battle. Because I was tailing him this closely, no one noticed I was running over rooftops to keep up with his pace. At one point he stopped in his tracks to look up at the exact spot where I'd been sitting a few seconds ago, luckily I managed to hide behind one of the chimneys that were close by. He walked past the old grocery store, and the ramen stand where he found one of his teammates. They chatted for a few minutes, before heading in the direction of the houses.

Oddly enough, he lived in the quarters I used to reside in with sensei, did this mean that his family was no more? I wouldn't have known. Orochimaru sensei must've reached the tent by now, I could nearly picture him having dinner, not exactly enjoying it, but still eating. My stomach made an attempt to growl, I quickly tensed my abdomen. This just wasn't fair, he was having dinner while I was nearly freezing to death by shadowing this guy.. I watched as he opened the door and got underneath his window. I heard the lock click back into place and heard him walking around inside.

I crossed my arms so I wouldn't freeze as much, out of nowhere the window above me opened. 'Come on in' he said in a slightly forcing tone. Caught again. Was I really that lousy at shadowing? 'Are you sure?' I asked. He just smiled at me and pulled me up. I got in through the window, and was amazed at what I saw. His home was nothing like I'd expected it to be. I admired the pictures he had on his living room wall. One of them was his family tree, while two others were just ninja scrolls. 'You're the same girl from this morning' he noted. I slowly nodded, there was no point in denying that. In a flash I caught the kunai he'd just thrown and let it twirl in my fingers, enjoying the feeling of the weapon. 'Shinobi, huh..' he whispered. 'What did you expect, fangirls?' he smirked as a reply to that.

'Actually no, you don't have a headband, so that's not what I thought. What happened to it?' the way he looked at me, made me blush slightly, even though I knew it wasn't allowed.  
>'Lost it in combat' I replied.<br>'That's possible I guess' in the meantime he had sat down, and without noticing I had sat down next to him. I forced myself to look at the TV that wasn't on, so that he wouldn't see that I was still blushing. He put his hand on my leg, not making it easy for me to relax in his presence.

Sensei must've finished his dinner by now, as he was calling me back. The mark in my neck was starting to burn. I tried to ask the question he hadn't asked me yet 'So what's your-' without any prior warning, he held my chin up as he pressed his soft lips against mine. My heartbeat sped up and yet I had never felt this kind of tranquility before. He carefully let go, flinching a little 'I-I'm sorry..,' he said, turning his –now red- face away. 'I.. I didn't mean to-' he said more to himself than to me.

I could bet some of my body parts that sensei was looking for me right now. I tried to get up but he grabbed my hand. A jolt of electricity went through me, this was definitely not supposed to happen. This was a turnaround compared to the guy I had seen walk to school this morning, this was someone who was afraid someone dear to him was going to leave him for the night.. 


	4. Chapter 4 : Should I stay with you ?

I couldn't speak; this was the second time today this happened to me. Besides, the fact that he had just kissed me made nothing easier, instead I felt confused. He didn't seem desperate anymore, he was desperately trying to reassemble his mask, as was I. 'Sasuke-kun?' he opened his arms up to me. 'Five minutes' he said. I turned on the t.v I had been staring at earlier, and sat before him, so he could put his arms around me. At least we agreed that that was the best solution for now. I couldn't wrap my head around what just happened, shinobi were not supposed to do anything that resembled dating, most of them had arranged marriages to ensure strong bloodlines.

Sensei was near the gate. I felt his chakra increasing, he was angry alright! For a second I leaned back and closed my eyes, feeling that Sasuke had more muscles than the eye could see at first glance. I really had to go now. He had fallen asleep, his head against the couch and a little drool was walking to his chin. 

I lied him down and went to get a blanket in his room. I put it over him and caressed his face. I wanted to kiss him, for some reason I had the feeling this would never happen again... I got outside and saw the sun was rising already. I got on top of the roof I stationed myself a few hours ago. Not more than five minutes later Orochimaru-sensei had found me 'Get off...that... roof..now Chakra' he hissed. Maybe his dinner didn't taste as good as he'd anticipated.

'Leaving, now' was all he had to say to me. He didn't speak to me until we had reached the tent. 'What have you done last night?' he was piercing through my soul. Even though he had knelt down he still looked frightening. 'Shadowing, just like you ordered me, sensei' I snapped back; 'randomly changing my position, just like you would do.' He smirked. 'You've become smarter, my little Genin' I smiled back..as a matter of fact I have. 'Orochimaru-sensei?' he looked at the direction the river was. I knew I had to be silent now. He disappeared; not a very good sign.

He came back with a snow-white rabbit, showing it to me. I knew what this meant. Someone had been willing to use this rabbit. The little animal was fighting. I knew it was over soon but I still hated the sound..of a neck getting snapped. 'Don't look away Chakra, you'll never become a good shinobi..don't fear death' he looked at me and for a second I thought he was going to put his arm around me. I looked back at the rabbit, it's red eyes staring back at me. As if they were saying; 'save me, I know you can.'  
>I looked at the position the sun had taken. 'I have to go now, sensei'; I bowed 'My daily routine has begun'<p>

I turned around 'enjoy your breakfast' he snapped its neck. 'Ouch' I thought. Shadowing him was harder than ever today. I had to restrain every muscle in my body not to walk beside him, even though I knew what I was thinking was completely irrational. We could not be seen together, we had no emotional ties, nor did the position I was in allow anything. I was supposed to shadow him, nothing more, nothing less. Moreover, I knew that he was aware of me being behind him all the time, he showed subtle signs of knowing where I was while he walked. All I was hoping was that no one could see where I was.


	5. Chapter 5 : Problems

Part 5

Suddenly he turned around and looked at the tree I was sitting in. I crawled back and pulled a branch in front of my legs, the pink-haired loudmouth followed his eyes. I made an attempt to crawl back even further, I was not about to let her catch me.

iI won't make the same mistake again/i Sasuke nearly made it to the academy gate, this meant that the girl had turned her attention to him again, and so was another group of other girls that followed them silently. He stopped at the gate and let her and the others get in first, it seemed like he was waiting for something or someone else. He got something out of his bag and said hi to another black-haired girl. She seemed very shy and timid, her eyes being purely white. I was guessing that she would be part of the Hyuuga clan I had been hearing about before. They could see the chakra flow of anyone they wanted. I supposed that this would be a bad time for her to use that ability.

Suddenly I saw another Sasuke coming round the corner. _Kage bunshin!_ I could have slapped myself how could I have forgotten that! I could feel Kabuto was near me, I only couldn't tell where..He sat behind me watching the Uchiha too. 'Hmm' he said, so this is the one? I nodded, trying to stay unnoticed to anybody since Kabuto was here too. 'He seems weak' he said.

For some reason he grabbed my hair softly brushing it with his hands. 'I see you've been sleeping properly lately' he snickered. 'If Orochi-sensei finds you here he won't be happy' I said. Sasuke was looking up at me and then I realized he was waiting for me. I pushed Kabuto a little since I knew what Sasuke was getting at.

'Leave. You may be a chuunin but that doesn't mean I got no control over you.' I said. 'Why do you want me to leave? You know you can't go and talk to that there' Kabuto said. Although it hurt, he was right. With pain in my heart I heard the bell ring, it hurted much more than I expected. Back at the camp I missed him, and I wondered if he was missing me too... Orochi-sensei must've gone with Kabuto to train or something else. Why else would he be here? I cleaned the spot where the leftovers of the rabbit he had left me... And then I did my push-ups. I needed to maintain my shape. Even today I trained with kunais, shurikens I would save for tomorrow.  
>It was time...Orochi-sensei hadn't met me at the tent as he used to, but there was nothing to worry about since he was with Kabuto. After a few more hours I removed the bandage from my left arm, the injury had nearly healed up completely. He came out as one of the last people of the building. I looked at him suspiciously, and then he was gone, to reappear behind me. He pulled me into a hug. 'I missed you' he whispered softly in my ear. 'I missed you too..' he came closer and kissed me. He let go and I could see a tear fall down from his eye..'What's wrong?' I asked he just pulled me closer 'Don't speak..' his finger touched my lips, sending shivers down my spine.<p>

We didn't have a lot of time to enjoy the silence of being together, I could feel Orochimaru-sensei on less than two minutes distance. I still wondered why no one in this village had rang the alarm, we were technically breaching the laws by being inside the village without any diplomatic motives. Quickly I let go of Sasuke. 'Go' I said to him. 'What's-'  
>'Just go, please' I felt my eyes were getting all teary. 'Please..'<br>Orochimaru...he's close and now Kabuto caught up with him. 'Sasuke-kun, hurry' he got up and brushed himself off 'I promise I'll meet you tomorrow, please don't hate me for this' he winked at me 'I never will, I feel them approaching too' he put his hands in front of him and disappeared...


	6. Chapter 6 : The purpose

Part 6

He had just disappeared when they arrived. 'We've been looking all over for you' Orochi-sensei said with a smirk. His clothes were ripped and his face was dirty. 'Sorry I must've dozed off by the sleep I'm not getting lately' she snapped back.  
><em>iWhat were they planning at?i_

The sun was setting, and the teachers were now leaving the building. I tried to close my eyes as soon as sensei walked past me, I didn't want him to see me like this. Orochimaru gave Kabuto a signal, a sign towards me that something I wouldn't like was about to happen. 'I really think we should mo-' they linked arms with me, incapacitating me. I could not make any seals in this state, nor could I do anything but spit at them. We arrived at the rooftop I had hid behind the day before, Sasuke was walking home now. '

'You know his habits, am I right Chakra?' then Orochimaru pauzed 'Now it's time for you to return to the academy.' 'But I don't-,' Kabuto got his arm out of mine and reappeared on top of my old house.. When I said nothing he just went on.. 'You will continue to live here, just like you used to. I want you to join his group and find about his weak points. But more than that I want to know his strong points, do you copy?'  
>I nodded, i<em>at least this was one of my better missionsi_ I thought to myself.  
>There was this old lady in front of his house, distracting me from what Orochimaru was saying now...Kabuto was nowhere to be seen. She knocked once.<p>

Orochimaru-senei grabbed my chin and in a reflex I grabbed his wrist and started pushing on the first pressure-point I could find.  
>He was was banging his fist on the roof, trying to make the pain stop. I saw Sasuke talking to the old lady, who was now pointing at my house. My grip loosened and Orochimaru-sensei got up, pretending nothing had happened.<p>

Since it was dark no one would see his wrist had turned red. 'We'll come to check on you, every week, same time,' after that he disappeared. When I looked down I saw the old lady had gone too. I got off the roof and just when I was about to touch the ground, Sasuke opened the door. I tried to hide the fact that he had surprised me. 'Hi' he said, I walked inside, like this was how things used to be. He was still wearing his blue school outfit while I heard the shower running in the background..'Tough day?' after that I kicked his replica so it could dissolve in smoke.

He came out of the bathroom, while running a towel through his hair. He noticed me watching and then he blushed. I found it odd that he hadn't kicked me out yet, like anyone else would have done. 'So anyways, my name is Chakra, pleased to meet you' he was surprised by the level of formality I managed, while he was standing there half-naked.

I was kinda happy he had a towel wrapped around his waist. He smiled at me after he'd stopped blushing. 'Be right back' then he went to his bedroom, while I went to the kitchen, feeling bad for myself I had skipped shuriken-training today. 


	7. Chapter 7 : Pain

Part 7

I was still sitting in his kitchen, I had grabbed an apple and was busy rolling it from side to side as I sat at the blue table. Even the family logo was burned into it, something that indicated that he did miss them. My stomach was about to start growling again, so eventually I attacked the apple and thought about what I would make him. He didn't seem like the type of guy that would like instant food. While I was thinking about this, he came back; fully clothed this time. He even wore a silver necklace around his wrist, and something about it made me feel like I really had to go..

Orochimaru was calling out to me, did this mean he knew I was in the wrong place? Sasuke seemed completely oblivious to what I was feeling, and reached out for my hand. Instead I left it hanging in mid-air as I told him I would be attending the academy starting tomorrow, but that I had some other things I had to take care of. He just stood there and watched me disappear in a cloud of smoke.

I re-appeared next to his home, Orochimaru sensei was looking at the paintings in the living room, as he had made himself comfortable on the couch. 'It's an completely different feeling, isn't it sensei?' she said. He sat up and walked over to the t.v. 'So this is what you used to live in. Nice hangout' he said with a forced smile. I knew nothing would beat his little three-house thingy, but this was pretty neat too even if I said it myself.

This house held many memories for me, I hadn't been there for at least six years, the rice cooker hadn't moved from the position I left it in..I remembered that one time I had sensei over for dinner and then I tripped over a toy which had been lying around. And then I spent half an hour scraping the rice off the wall. Thank god there was something like Irchiraku's ramen. Oh man! Haven't been there in quite a while..

He licked his lips; damn I hated it when he did that.. I went over to the kitchen so I wouldn't have to see the fascination he had for my family pictures. I knew them by heart since I haven't... 'Chakra? Why are you crying on this picture?' Orochimaru-sensei was being courteous I didn't like the way this conversation was turning. 'I fell off my bicycle and it was one of the rare moments I cried so my Ooto-'

Damnit! I couldn't even say it. He came over to the kitchen and inhaled the dust I was trying to clean off the rice cooker. He looked at the sink and then asked me why I was cleaning only the rice cooker.  
>'Because it's one of the things which I couldn't let burn, before I came to you I didn't even know how to cook!' he smiled and then licked my mark. I shivered lightly. This was the only moment it felt numb, like I was normal again.<p>

Just a girl nothing else. He pulled away and then the pain started to spread inside my body. I yelled out in pain, hoping no one would come to help. I knew the consequences if someone came here right now. 'Sensei?' she said. 'Can you let my pain go?'

He sighed and then looked at the full moon outside 'My little genin, it was just a test. Just a little test.. he snickered. 'I can't come every time your little mark starts to hurt'  
>Now he was acting like I'd done something to badly disappoint him, that hurted even more. No matter how you might twist or turned it, he still was my sensei... <p>

I walked around the house as if I'd never seen such a peaceful place before. My bedroom, the kitchen and even my balcony. In my excitement I had walked past my parents bedroom. I reached for the doorknob but then my mark hit me. I gave up and walked back to see what Orochimaru was doing. 


	8. Chapter 8 : Never

He walked over to the sink and it seemed like he had to puke, an Otokage(sound shadow)doesn't do that! 'Genin?,' I walked over to him and then he grabbed my throat. 'Don't try anything on him while I'm gone. Just be a good little- *bloargh*' I knocked on his back 'Orochi-sama? I will' he nodded 'If that is what you wish, now if you will excuse me, my little Genin, I have to see Kabuto about this' His usually white outfit now had two little yellow stains from the vomit that was now lying in my sink. I used a lot of water against the smell while keeping my nose closed, I didn't want to end up puking too. After that I lied myself down on the couch and fell asleep. Didn't want to see the mess I had left when I went..so many years ago, still it seemed like I had never left at all. 

Two people suddenly barged in, to my surprise it were the pink haired girl and the blonde-haired boy. I guessed that they still assumed that the house was still vacant. These were the two from Sasuke's team, why were they even together? I remained silent while the blonde haired boy took over her and started to kiss her neck 'Naruto-kun, plea-' he moved up and kissed her lips softly. This was something I had to see, they liked each other?

They let go staring in each other's eyes. 'I love you so much Sakura-chan' he rested his head next to hers while she was messing up his hair with a mischievous grin. She pulled him into a hug and whispered 'I love you too' when I saw them that day I would never had expected something like this would happen. Oh well it's always good to have a weapon against them I thought silently. I mean Orochi-sama had left meaning I could do what I wanted...

I threw a kunai, missing Naruto's head a few inches, like planned. The pink-haired girl looked at it with fear. 'Naru-' he had seen it too and was looking at it. I turned on the lights to see them turn crimson red. 'My my my..' I stated reading the fear in their eyes.

'I...he-..we-' I raised my hand 'You guys thought this was an empty house, right? 'They nodded and Naruto let go of the girl so they were both standing near the wall. I knew the shadow-jutsu and it would've been fun to make them dance together but at the moment I just wanted them out of my house... 'Listen up you two nit-wits', they nodded 'I want you two out of my face. And if I ever see you two again...' I cracked my knuckles 'you know what happens'

I smiled but since it was dark and all they could see was half of my face I decided to let them go. 'Go! ' I said pointing at the door. Still red they both left leaving a silence in the house, which felt bigger than ever. I tried to fall back into sleep when I decided something. First I stared a few minutes at the house opposite of me, i_Sasuke-kun.../i_


	9. Chapter 9 : Miss Chunin

Part 9

I kept on telling myself that it was retarded to look out the window all the time, but since I was already awake, I didn't care for his privacy that much. I didn't feel like going back either.. At this point I had walked over to my balcony and tried to find a moving shadow. Or atleast a moving object, and then I found it. He was doing push-ups on the floor. I had no idea for how long he had been there but on his speed I thought he had just started doing them.

I heard something crash. But it wasn't at my place, people were now watching outside their windows and yelling to each other, things like; 'What was that?' 'I was sleeping!' Sasuke had stopped doing his push-ups and was now walking upstairs. Did it come from his place? I yawned and then I heard something else crash. It sounded like there was a fight between a man and a woman. *crack* Sasuke came running outside with a cloaked ninja behind him, they were running towards the town gates. Without even thinking I started following them. The cloaked one threw a kunai and that's when I had almost caught up with them, I stood before him and dodged the kunai allowing Sasuke to escape...

He looked like Sasuke, only he was taller and had a gloomy dark aura around him, his long black robe were with symbols that looked like clouds, in the color of blood. 'Move you little-' I grabbed his hand he had raised at me; 'Don't ever' I looked behind me to see Sasuke. I used the moment to get away, and then I searched a higher point to see the two Uchiha's facing each other. I didn't want to see this. My mark started to hurt. The burning pain spread out all over my body, I tried to perform a seal but my hands kept on shaking i..._No!..not now..I need to get..away/i_

The aura..it kept coming closer. I couldn't feel Sasuke's chakra flow anymore! He couldn't have...my Sasuke...  
>I felt someone lifting me up. When I looked up to see who was carrying me I only saw his head. I knew that bell he had hung on it. I gave it to him myself. My mark..I really started to hate that thing<p>

It was dark and I was surprised no one looked outside, or could it be? He was using his Mangekyou Sharingan so it could be he was doing this to calm me down? He put me down on the couch and for a moment it seemed like he was going to leave.. 'Chakra'

His eyes burned into my mind. He was planning on leaving. I quickly turned away my head and he outbursted 'Sorry, I didn't mean to,' It felt like my neck was about to snap and my eyes were burning. My vision grew blurry, I could hear him running over to me... He yelled my name and attempted to catch me. The last thing I saw was his hat and his face growing more and more concerned. The clear lines of his face and then he started to fade away..


	10. Chapter 10 : Was it really worth it?

_iI cannot take this anymore..saying everything I said before/i _

It was a hot summer night. Temari and I had come up with the idea to throw a party for the ones who graduated without a scratch. She was occupied with the finger food as usual, while I stood on the outside. A big fire had been made, and several of Gaara's students and some of their friends had been invited to join. Some of them were standing at the white buffet table with all the foods, while most of them had sat down around the fire to warm themselves.

_iAll these words they make no sense..I found this in ignorance../i  
><em> 

Kankurou had come up with the idea that he would be the DJ after a little convincing Temari agreed, even though she didn't trust him with sound..Right now I couldn't feel my body, but that was alright. At times like this, remembering them made me realize how I missed them as if they had been my own siblings, the way they treated me even though I was an outsider. No matter what the kazekage said, they were family to me. It seemed not too long ago, when I was alone, making my way through the desert, all by myself. Living under the most harsh conditions being a woman alone, during the day I hunted for salamanders or any other animals I could find, while at night I would sleep next to a cactus, to ensure I wouldn't be dehydrated when I woke up. 

_iLess I hear the less you say..you'll find that out anyway/i_

And Gaara? Well Gaara was just being himself. He sat at the edge, watching the valley while at the same time keeping one eye open for us... His clothes were softly swaying with the wind, making him look as if he was the leader of our little group of noisy teenagers. The loud noises seemed to shake up the forest, but not enough to make the village elders come in and spoil the fun. Tonight was our night.

iJust like before...EVERYTHING YOU SAY TO ME! _Says I'm one step closer to the edge and I'm about to.._ break/i

Temari and I had been running around the village all day, picking up orders and transporting wood. Kankurou and Gaara claimed they had "other things" to do, as did Kipachi who conveniently showed up when he heard the words "away from work". My muscles were sore, but seeing Temari in her element certainly made me feel a whole lot happier, as if our work had finally paid off. At least we got to tell Gaara and the boys that it was their turn to clean up after. I had been so occupied by my own thoughts, that I hadn't noticed that one of the boys asked me to dance. I thought nothing of it, until I noticed that after I got up, Gaara could not keep his eyes off the bonfire. It suddenly seemed to have a certain new interest to it.

iI need a little room to pray..._Says I'm one step closer to the edge_ and I'm about to break.. /i

For some reason, Temari shot someone a warning glance as I was turned and twisted in different directions. To me, the music seemed to be too loud, the sound was making my heart speed up and slow down too fast, which made my head spin even more. Just as my dance partner for the evening wanted to get something to eat, Gaara walked up to me. 'Let's walk for a bit, shall we?'

iI find out the answers are so clear..wish I could find a way to dissapear.. /i

At that moment I let Kipachi go, as he had been dragging me towards the buffet table too. He completely missed the point that Gaara had other plans apparently. 'I have to go-' I said, still being dragged along, first now he took the time and effort to ask where.

iAll these thoughts..they make no sense..I found this in ignorance/i

'Let go of my student,' Gaara said in a strong and strict tone. Despite the fact that they had hung out all afternoon, the friendliness had left the face of the Kazekage's son. 'S-sorry Gaara-sama- the lights..' that was all it took for him to take his hands off me and not look back as Gaara took my hand and lead me elsewhere. He tried to make it seem like it was a casual stroll without any particular destination, but I could feel he was more tense than usual. His movements were more calculated, as if preparing for battle.

iNothing seems to go away..over and over again /i

He led me to the rocky and unstable looking edge he had been sitting near earlier.

'You'll enjoy the view from here, come.. sit with me' he said.  
>'Aren't you supposed to guard us, instead of observing the lake and the behavior of the moon?'<br>'I guess so, which is why I brought my main source of distraction here, so I can do both' he said, playing his hand over mine, as his eyes made an attempt to look at me. Instead, as embarrassed as I was feeling, I looked down.

iJust like before..._everything you say to me!_ /i

The valley didn't hold any secrets for me anymore, I could see a deer and her fawn drinking by the lake, while the sounds of cicada's filled the air. My senses got kicked up another notch as I could now smell the marshmallows that were being toasted. His hand suddenly felt warmer, like he was getting even more nervous without there being any others present.  
>'Chakra..there is something I want to-' he looked up at the stars. It was a clear night and the moon wasn't full yet. At that moment it was hard to believe who he really was.. His green eyes finally met mine, and I was captivated, as he showed me one of his rare smiles. In the background I could feel Temari's eyes being focused on my back, watching my every move.<p>

_iI need a little room to pray..says I'm one step closer to the edge..and I'm about to break/i_

He looked down at me, as if he was seeing me for the first time..He looked the same, lost person.. Yet his strong aura never failed to make anyone believe, that underneath all that toughness, there was a warmhearted person. One who would fight for the right people. 

iI need a little room to pray..says I'm one step closer to the edge...and I'm about to...BREAK /i 

All we could hear was the faint music coming from the tent..it seemed like the party was so far away... Right now there was just me, Gaara and the lake. Nothing else. Like we were in our own separate world, away from all the stress and bad luck we had both encountered in real life, fighting side by side. 

_ibreak..break..break_  
>Shut up while i'm talking to you. Shut up!i

He grabbed my hand softly I could feel a warmth spread in my body... a pleasant feeling I had never felt before.. I didn't want to move, as he came closer to me, the coldness he usually saved for other people was gone.

iShut up!...shut up while I'm talking to you!/i

'Chakra..' his green eyes had captivated me...'I love you..' 

iSHUT UP!..I'm about to break/i

Just at that moment my mark started to burn, the feeling was so intense that it brought me to my knees. I was used to the pain, but right now it was like the flesh had inflated and a bubble of blood was boiling there... It was as if my body was taking revenge for having feelings.  
>All I was hoping, that my mark wouldn't take over, or in the worst case..I would start to bleed. Gaara stood there and let the sand cover me up, he was afraid to hurt me... He knew that as soon as he would see me bleed, his tailed beast would take over, and that he didn't completely control it yet. No one would be able to assess the situation if it escalated.<p>

iEverything you say to me...I need a little room to pray..._'Cuz I'm one step closer to the edge and I'm about to break..i_

I looked up at him 'I love you too..' my mark was expanding. I could feel the darkness spreading out, killing the warm feeling I had just experienced...Gaara's eyes widened. The cocoon had almost taken over me, before the sand bubble closed, I could see his peaceful expression..

I felt someone shaking me, my ribs..They were broken. I tried to move my hand but when I opened my eyes I couldn't believe what I was seeing..Itachi was reanimating me...

Couldn't let her get killed..wanted to, really.

Credit for this part will go to Masashi Kishimoto & Linkin' Park


	11. Chapter 11 : This is bad

The fact that he was re-animating me felt like I meant something to someone. I knew that what happened between me and Sasuke earlier was inexplainable, but Itachi was a whole other level. Despite the fact that my ribs were now bent inwards because of the pressure he used, it was not what amazed me. He wasn't using his sharingan, which lead me to conclude that this was causing him severe stress. He never let his guard down in this way. Eventually he went out and got himself a drink, and came back with a glass for me. 'Drink up' he said, taking off his hat. I bet that it must've been warm for him to be like this. As soon as I drank whatever was in there, I immediately started to feel a lot better. 'What was that?' I asked. He just smirked at me, 'How about we try this again? Thank you for saving my life Itachi-san' Fear spread out in my body rapidly. He had saved my life...

He then ran his hand through his hair, after removing it from my stomach. 'You're healing up quite nicely, you know that?' in that respect he was right, the pain in my stomach was rapidly disappearing, and it made me able to sit up straight again. I got up and hugged him, inhaling the smoke that always hung around his robe, he didn't seem to mind as much. Even though he pretended like he didn't like it, I knew he did. 'Where's Kisame-chan?' I never used -san on him. It just didn't match the guy. For some reason he had put his hand upon mine, it was cold. 'Watch out for my little brother,' he was preparing to get up. 'Tell me what happened' The last thing I remembered was my mark acting up again. This time so bad I almost fell off the couch.

Itachi was smiling, never a good sign. He moved himself closer to me, in that movement I saw the amount of kunais and shurikens that were hidden in just the cloak. He seemed to be relaxing, as I could feel that his chakra level was increasing rapidly. Even though I had been without a village for quite some time, I didn't have what it took to be part of the Akatsuki yet, but that was alright, since I didn't think I wanted to be with Itachi any longer, to do the things we used to do.

'What just happened?'  
>'You were having a bad dream,' he whispered 'your mark expanded and your body started to shake. At some point the central of your mark turned red, and you went out of air,' then he blushed 'then, I kinda saved you' my eyes widened even more...<p>

Why would a killer of this caliber try to save me? I bet Orochimaru-sensei hadn't told him to do that. He didn't care that much for me. Kimimaro and Itachi were his favorites, and of course: Kabuto. for some reason I felt even more alone... They were ten times better if we were to compare combat strategies, but they had trouble keeping it subtle, this is what they needed me for most the time.

'No one loves me, I just got sent here to shadow your pathetic little brother' I sat down on the couch and grabbed one of the pillows, pretending to be vulnerable again. 'Why can't they give me any good missions Itachi-sama?' If I would mention the true feelings I had for that guy...it would be end of story, Itachi patted my shoulder. 'He's not worth shadowing' I nodded. At that moment I felt another chakra source. Someone was overhearing the conversation.

'Itachi' I motioned him to watch to the window. He nodded and smiled before grabbing his hat. 'I bet Orochi-sama expects me to make a mistake and die' I whispered. His chakra level decreased dramatically. The he put a finger upon my lips. 'No one wants you killed. Especially I don't' he pulled the hat over his eyes and I saw his ring blink in the light. He activated his Sharingan again. I felt the chakra source move, and go back to its normal level.. it was Sasuke..

' I'll talk to Orochimaru-sama. Take care, you have a hard day waiting for you tomorrow' he opened the door and disappeared in the mist.. I closed my eyes and sunk back in the couch. God I hated school...


	12. Chapter 12

I found myself the next morning, feeling completely wrecked. My ribs had turned back to normal, but my shoulders were sore because he had tried to keep my body down while I had been shaking. I had been lucky not to kill him during the process. Then again, he had to go through those things back when we worked together. I had been woken up by a cold wind that made its way through my window. I usually didn't forget to close them, yesterday's events seemed like a faraway blur to me. How long did I sleep for? 'Damn.. has school even started yet?'I exclaimed loudly to myself. 'I guess not.. yet' Sasuke smiled and got into my room. He was already dressed and he had even taken the courtesy of bringing his arm accessory with him.

From the past I could remember Itachi having one exactly like it, but Sasuke couldn't have possibly stolen it.. could he? 'How did you-?' he sat down while looking straight into my eyes.  
>'Ready to go?' I shivered, being confused. Didn't he hate me despite what he had heard me say yesterday? I mean, if you compared his skill to Itachi's up until now, Itachi won. 'So where are we going then?' I asked, 'The academy of course' he said, trying to determine my mental state. Wasn't it him who had overheard the conversation yesterday? If someone had made a kage bunshin lookalike of him, it would have made sense. But what I had sensed was his chakra level. Bottom line was: Either of us had to have attacked it to make sure no one was listening in.<p>

The little Uchiha was now walking around the room, examining the pictures... 'This is you, right?' he pointed at the same one Orochimaru-sensei had picked before he left. I nodded 'You looked so sweet' he sighed and put his hand against the wall. While I hadn't been looking, he had crouched over and made a sound I knew all too well. 'Sasuke?' I asked, hating myself for being honestly concerned. While he looked up at me, he wiped off the remnants of blood still on his chin. In shock I realized what must've caused his body to act this way. I then walked over to him to confirm. He pushed away my hands which were now trying to pull his collar down. The difference of the curse mark was that his was on the back of his shoulder, while mine's was on the front.

This explained why I hadn't seen it earlier when he had gotten out of the shower. I smiled, at least I wasn't alone on this. 'It's fine you know- With time it'll become more bearable. My mark's been acting up too lately'  
>'How do you mean-' I pulled my collar down a little so he could see that I had a mark identical to his. Sasuke's eyes widened and he covered his eyes with his hand, sitting down. 'Because I know what it feels like'<p>

I picked him up with ease and led him to the couch. Despite what I had looked like to him, I was capable of carrying twice his weight. His touch had went colder, as his half-closed eyes gazed up at me. I sure as hell hoped I hadn't scared the hell out of him on his first day of school together. It felt like he was freezing me up. If I wanted to kill him, this would have been the most fortunate time, but looking down on his half-sleeping face, melted my heart. 'You know.. I never thought we'd be this alike'

'Never would I' he mumbled. I went to the kitchen and tried not to scream. Someone had killed something in my kitchen. In the sink there was something that looked like a dead body, at least. It had been rammed into the sink, coloring it red. The cloak the woman had been wearing was covering most of her body, and luckily also her face. The refrigerator was covered in bloody splatters, as was the table. The windows were smashed too. I guessed that while I had been sleeping like a rose, Itachi had taken the liberty of letting me clean up his mess. Even though I wasn't sure, this definitely was the work of a shinobi. One thing puzzled me, there were no drag marks, anywhere.

'Chakra?,' when I didn't reply he got up and walked over to the kitchen. I felt him pull me into a strong embrace, facing me away from the mess that used to be my kitchen. After a minute I realized he was still keeping me close, even though my tears were now staining his t-shirt. 'Shhh...it's allright'  
>He looked down on me and that's when I let go. Damnit; I thought. When was the last time I felt this sad? Then one thing hit me, our marks were alike, did that mean it actually was true? Orochimaru-sensei said it was technically not possible.. I wiped away my tears and smiled, he then put his hand underneath my face and kissed me. At first I was surprised, but after a few seconds I realized that this was a better way of not thinking about what was going on behind me.<p>

He pulled away and rested his head against mine, 'Don't worry, it's going to be allright, Chakra'  
>'How do you..?' he smiled innocently 'I have ears you know..' I smiled, insecurely. So it really was-<br>There were two chakra sources walking towards the door...my door..  
>I went to open the door and Sasuke put his arms around me while it was opened. 'You lis-' the blonde and the pink.. She was about to smash her fist in his skull and he was about to scream her head off. The were looking at me in complete silence, the girl even more because of the Uchiha standing behind me.<p>

'I guess I'll go' he whispered softly in my ear. The girl didn't know where to look, while the boy's mouth fell open. 'So, happy couple' I started; when Sasuke was out of the hearing-area 'What's this quarrel about?' in their shock they had frozen.. 'Helloo' still no response. This is bad. Somehow they had both compromised that looking down would be the best option for now. 'Good morning, I'm Haruno Sakura' she reached out for me and I took it cautiously 'Good morning..I'm..' names..complicated. I would just use the one I did know. 'Chakra' this felt so awkward.. I quickly took my hand back and turned my attention towards the blonde.

'Uzumaki Naruto' he bowed to me, this I was used to. I smiled at him, he was interesting in his own kind of way. 'What's the occasion?,' I tried to surpress my smirk. They were looking like two kids who had been caught stealing a cookie. 'Kakashi-sensei wanted you to team up with us' Naruto said.

'Who's us?' Sakura put her arms around Naruto while he started blushig crimson red. 'Us. and Sasuke-kun' poor Sasuke..I thought while looking at them. Sakura kissed Naruto's cheek and walked towards the academy. I sighed, it was so tempting to crawl back in bed and pull up the covers to fall in a dreamless sleep. Atleast I get to see Sensei again. I walked in to change and then went to see the academy gates welcome me again...


	13. Chapter 13: Is there life on Mars?

Sasuke part 13

The trip to the academy wasn't even that long, and besides, the past few days I had to do the same route because of Sasuke. Still.. something bothered me. I managed to keep my gaze down so not that many villagers would see that I had come back. Suddenly she heard a voice she had heard before, but hoped never to hear again. A little kid was running away from a puppy that thought it was a challenge. The boy was running away in fear, while the grey pup just followed, barking happily. She felt the man placing his hand on her shoulder, as he tried to turn her around. 'So it really was you' he said, smiling.

Quickly she turned her head away. 'I do not wish to speak with you, not after everything that happened in Suna' She couldn't see him, but knew he was smiling 'Are you really going to be like that?' She shrugged and turned around. He was definitely one of the people she had hoped never to see again, because he knew too much. When she looked in the general direction of the academy, Chakra spotted two other men who were waiting for her. One of them was obviously happy to see her, while the other one looked apathetic. In a few minutes, the Hokage was supposed to start his speech. Chakra was very well aware of this, just because she was part of the reason that this speech was even necessary.

Chakra.. why are you even here? This question had been bugging her ever since she had gotten up this morning. Sasuke had walked up to her in the meantime and grabbed her hand, while she was preoccupied with her thoughts. He silently walked beside her, not being bothered by the stares some of the other female ninja's gave us. I first realized he was this close, when he gave me a kiss on the cheek; resulting in some very angry girls who were now using words I wouldn't dare to repeat. He had walked around the academy, instead of going inside like everyone else did. The teachers at the gate were preoccupied with other things, so they missed us sneaking out. At least the girls will have remembered seeing me for sure.

Suddenly he spun me around and sat me down on one of the benches that were in front of the trees, near the playground for little kids. Chakra knew what the Hokage was going to say anyways, after this the whole village might come and hunt her down especially, this could turn really sticky very soon. 'Is there something that is bothering you?' Sasuke asked, his voice completely neutral as he stared right into my eyes. 'Yeah, honestly there is. Itachi didn't kill anyone last night, he just left a reminder to me. I first realized that now.'

Chakra knew why the realization came so late, she didn't want to be remembered of the mission. Not for this person that provided her with trust and warmth, she knew damn well that these were the things that could make any ninja weak. Reading about it was something different than actually experiencing it. He and Itachi really were polar opposites. His brother had been trying to get through to her, telling her that she had been starting to stray from what she had been assigned to do. She had to find out Sasuke's weaknesses, but by the looks of it, she seemed to be turning into one of those. It seemed as if the assignment was something from years ago, not something her sensei had assigned her to do three days ago.

She felt Sasuke lean in to kiss her, but she evaded. No. Not today. He made another attempt by reaching for her hand, but she felt her heart grow cold. There was a reason for this mission, and it had to be carried out. He gave up and sighed as he saw the hatred in her eyes rising. _Sorry Sasuke-kun_ Chakra reached for one of the weapons she usually carried around, however when she felt the kunai's cold surface, she realized that she couldn't do it. What good would it do? They had the same mark, shared the same destiny, and how hard this was so admit.. she cared for him. I don't want to lose him, I'd hate myself.. She imagined briefly what it would look like, his blood splattered over the academy's roof, the poisoned kunai's in her hand. She imagined his body with broken bones, just lying there lifeless, never smiling again. How she would hate herself for just creating this scenario. The academy..in which she first learned how to cause pain, not to mention the pain she would feel in her heart after realizing what she had done... 

The younger Uchiha was now eying her curiously, anticipating an attack, but at the same time not afraid of what might happen. _I bet he's seen a lot more hatred in Itachi's eyes_ she thought as matter-of-factly. He suddenly smirked at her, leaning in again. 'You can't hate me, can you?' he smirked and put his arms around her while softly brushing against her lips. At this point, his breath intoxicated her, shutting down any sort of doubts she was toying with at this moment. She didn't think twice before kissing him back, pulling him closer and even closing her eyes.

Just for a brief moment, she wished that she had been born in Konoha; without the additional complications. 'We should leave before someone catches us' Chakra realized that her pulse had started to speed up and her breath had gotten heavier by just kissing him. It took her a few seconds to completely compose herself again. 'You're right. Let's go' she said, shying away from him a little. She could hear Orochimaru-sensei talk to her, loud and clear. How many times hadn't he repeated this sentence? 'First lesson: My little Genin, Shinobi are tools. The moment they grow attached, they become weak and useless' Humbly she bowed her head 'Sensei..will you ever forgive me?' she whispered. Her mark started to burn.. the speeding pulse had probably triggered one of the side-effects of the curse. 

Sasuke noticed the change and looked worried, he also heard footsteps approaching; just as much as I did. The difference was that, he would be able to get away, but by the way I felt right now I wouldn't be able to roll off the bench to do pretty much anything. I felt so useless right now. 'Chakra, we have to leave. NOW!' Sensei calmly approached us and put his fingers on one of the veins of my neck. He applied a little pressure and let go of me.

'We need to talk,' he murmured. I managed to get up with a little help from Sasuke, so I could follow the white-haired man. His nose was buried in his book, which told me that he was hiding at this particular moment too. 'Let's go for a walk ' he said, not bothering to look at us. He lowered his voice at the end, implying that this was definitely not a request. 'Yes, sensei!' She would have saluted, if not for this miserable position she was in at this moment.

At first when she had arrived in Konoha, she did it just to mock him. But after realizing that him training her day in and day out took a lot of personal sacrifices, just as much as she did; she started respecting him on a whole other level. At that time she was surprised he gave her the honors of being on her feet, instead of crawling in the dust. 'How have you been, Chakra?' After the day he caught her spying, these were the first words he uttered. 'Good, Sensei. Have you read anything good lately?' She asked, feigning innocence. He had made it to the candy stand and scared off Chouji and Shikamaru, telling them they had class. I smiled, before he turned around to face us. He put his book down and finally looked at Sasuke and me. He was trying to figure out what had been going on while he had been out. 'Did I miss anything?' Sasuke opened his mouth, but I managed to kick him in his knees, disabling him to say anything. I put on my sweetest smile : 'Don't get any ideas sensei, you know me'

Technically he did know me... the old me.._The new me_ Chakra thought. It's so weird saying it like that..Sensei noticed the inner conflict I had, but didn't comment on it. On my way to the infirmary I met some old friends, they had all been promoted or given special tasks. And where did that leave her? Due to the moving around, she had been stuck at the bottom of the food chain, the Genin. After they had gotten the mark checked out, she found Sensei, her second Sensei a few inches away from him. This sight frightened her. Sasuke was walking in front of her, but he seemed unbothered. He probably figured that after the infirmary visit, everything was going to be fine now. I tried to find someone, anyone that could back me up. 'Kipachi!' I yelled, he arrived a few seconds later, turning to me to show me his red eye by accident. 'Chakra, what brings you here?' 'Shh, not so loud!' I said, eyeing Sasuke.

He was whistling while two birds flew over him, Sasuke ran his hands through his ebony hair, looking at a blonde-haired girl, while two birds flew by. In their flight Chakra could see they were playing around with each other. 'You've grown' Kipachi noted, Chakra smiled and looked at the ground, that's when she heard Sasuke suppress a growl. She took his hand and softly kissed it. 'It's ok, don't worry' her warm feeling was back, just like the last time. She was guarded by a competent Sensei for a change. Her mark had calmed down, finally. Sensei was looking at her with honest concern. 'I'm fine now..' She turned around and hugged him while he softly bit her ear. 'Do you remember?' 'Of course I do' she whispered back. She walked on and Sasuke seemed like he had only had the time to blink in those few seconds. 'So..you guys "know" each other?' he asked cautiously. 'You could say that,' she responded, but in the tone of her voice he could hear this was something she didn't want to talk about. 


	14. Chapter 14

Later on, she decided to go home, as Kabuto would have probably alerted Orochimaru about her incompetence. That slimy little monster. Why didn't he just shut up about it and let me try and do what was right, without listening to my heart? It was hard to admit that I might not be able to finish this mission, but my mind wasn't completely made up just yet. I had to do this to prove myself for one last time. After that I would leave the sound village and head home to Suna. There was nothing that would be able to keep me here. On the other hand, if I played my cards well; Itachi might take me back as a partner? All I would have to do is kill Sasuke "by accident." How do you accidentally murder someone? Oh well.. if I did that, all of Konoha would come after me and there would be a war if I tried to move somewhere else.

Chakra had just managed to roll over in her bed, and grabbed her binoculars, who knows; he might be doing something interesting at this moment. 'Looking for this?' Kabuto asked. 'Yes, thank you' she retorted, grabbing them out of his spread hands. His smug smirk revealed that he was quite enjoying this game. 'I just love watching you not being able to decide' he said, moving his glasses back over his nose. 'Enough toying around. We're going to have to sit and talk for a few minutes' Orochimaru-Sensei said. I nodded quietly as I followed them down the stairs. Chakra's breathing had changed from a calm sigh to a hyperventilating sort of pant she wasn't able to stop. iWhat is making me so nervous?/i

Orochimaru had seated himself while Kabuto had his arms crossed against the white door. I threw Sensei two pairs of chopsticks. 'How nice of you to invite us to dinner' he remarked sourly. Meanwhile, Chakra had steadied herself and forced her heart rate down. But again, her mark wouldn't let her at least a few hours of peace. She felt like someone had stabbed her with an ancient katana, which was slowly piercing her chest. She bit her lips and shut her eyes, there was no way in hell she was going to s- .. Chakra bit her lips and held one hand on the floor, supporting herself as the pain started to spread. i _If you scream you're weak if you scream you're weak..if youscr-/i _

So far, no one had yet bothered to turn on the lights, even though it was already relatively dark outside. I head Kabuto snicker and move around, he was probably looking for food. Sensei was impatiently drumming his fingers on the table, obviously bored. I was still on the floor, trying not to scream. My only fear being; having to ask Sensei to help me again. He believed in my true power, asking for help would only make me weaker in his perception. 'I heard from Kabuto that this boy is getting to you' Orochimaru said, keeping his tone casual. 'Kabuto's wrong' she replied, sounding neutral. 'My intuition has yet to fail me' he retorted.

Outside the orange glow of the setting sun hit the kitchen floor, I just sat, mesmerized. The pain subsided for a moment, so she sat up again. The pain came back, knocking her headfirst into the ground again. Chakra let out a frustrated groan and pushed herself up again. 'Not now my little Genin' Orochimaru replied, calmly picking up his chopsticks and continuing his meal. Kabuto got up, but Sensei summoned a snake, emerging from his sleeve. Any other person would have been scared, but Kabuto just smiled. The white-haired shinobi got out a kunai and pinned the snake to the table, where it still wiggled around for a bit and then stopped moving altogether. After which Kabuto started moving on in my direction 'Where do you think you're going' Sensei replied, a hint of anger in his voice. Kabuto saw the pain I was enduring, and for a split second; worry graced his features. My eyelids were starting to get heavy, but I was fighting the sensation. Kabuto aggressively slammed his fist onto the table, allowing it to shake. But in the end, he did as he was told. Two minutes later, Sensei finished his meal, after this he calmly got up to throw the cups out.

Chakra closed her eyes and pulled herself up again. This time she hoped that her mark wouldn't expand, she coughed and put her fist in her mouth to keep the scream from escaping. As long as she wasn't going to bleed, the mark should be controllable. The pain was now really starting to subside, later on she felt good enough to open her eyes; finding herself on the floor again.

A sharingan was staring at her, a few inches above her face. 'I-itachi' she tiredly brought out. He didn't quite smell the same, the smoky smell that usually emanated from his robe was missing a little; more vague in a way. He didn't talk to her, he just winked and pulled her up while using one of his hands. 'When did you even get in?' she asked, eyeing him critically. 'Now we're even, no?' Itachi didn't keep scores, making it easily to see this was obviously genjutsu. She smirked and kicked him, after which she pulled out a kunai and ripped her upper arm. Slowly she moved the kunai deeper, careful not to hit any of her vital veins. The only way out of this illusion was pain, lots of it.

Little by little the room started to come back to her. The table seemed whiter and bigger, but soon Kabuto came into sight too. Sensei smirked at her. 'Just as I thought. Weak' he said. The wound she had caused earlier, was quickly covered up by a hand towel, the smell of iron however still tainted the air. Orochimaru licked the corners of his lips, seeing me as a mere snack now. A drop still managed to hit the floor, leaving a small spot next to her. i I.. am … weak? /i she put her hand on her arm, feeling the blood still drip down a little. Cautiously she moved a little to the side, realizing she had been crying all that time.

'I am anything BUT weak,' Chakra said in defense. Orochimaru snickered; Kabuto was nowhere to be seen. 'That guy is dead for sure now' she said, steadying herself. She clenched her fists so hard that the nails dug into the flesh. Chakra walked over to the sink and washed her face, hoping that the tears didn't leave any red eyes for her. Orochimaru saw the determination that now flowed around her, knowing he didn't have to worry as much anymore; he left. Chakra spent the rest of the night on the couch, watching 'Naruto's ninja quiz' the program wasn't that old yet, but the orange jump suit ninja made her laugh. This was a whole other side to him..

Especially some of the questions he had to ask were absolutely epic, like asking one of the village elders when the last time was they had eaten a tomato. The elders either laughed in his face, or tried to look in their grey old memory to find some sort of fitting answer. It honestly had some entertainment value to it. After a few hours Chakra woke up to someone who was brushing away a lock of hair which would have bothered her if she had been awake. Sasuke had put his hand on her stomach, while looking concerned. His eyes were looking straight into her soul, making her slightly uneasy. She shifted her weight and directed her attention to the television again. 'Chakra, your arm.. what happened?' he whispered. She turned back and smiled 'It's no big deal, just training' she tried to tell him; but Sasuke already decided that he wasn't going to buy it. 'You haven't been to the training grounds.' 'Indoor training?' she tried. He smiled 'No really, just tell me alright?' she sighed.

'Someone used Genjutsu on me' he started to activate his Sharingan, as his black eyes were now starting to show some hints of red, flickering slightly. Carefully she put her hand on his 'I'm fine. Honestly. It's just a flesh wound, things like his heal' she said, reassuring the ebony haired ninja. 'You could have told me sooner' he mumbled 'I thought something honestly bad happened and-' she put a finger on his lips and smiled. 'How did you get in?' she asked, redirecting his attention to something completely unrelated. He looked away while blushing slightly 'The roof, via your parent's room. It's rather close to my own so I decided to- anyways. I just had to see you' she yawned. iI should kill him now that the opportunity has presented itself/i 'Hey, can you get me something to drink?' she asked, looking as helpless as humanly possible.


End file.
